TD!

In American football when one team goes across the other teams goal line it's called a Touchdown. Or TD for short. It's the culmination of a lot of hard work, practice, and strategy. It doesn't matter whether the team wins or loses because during a touchdown the entire team celebrates. But for Christians TD means something different but should have the same type of results. For Christians it means TESTED DAILY. Every day Christians are tested. The Bible says God disciplines those He loves. We are tested because God loves us that He wants us to be strong and wise. He wants us to have the will to resist any opposition or any darkness. When my son doesn't do his homework, he faces a consequence which could be not going outside to play. For us as Christians not reading the Bible could lead to us falling easily to temptation. Disobeying God leads to a path of darkness and temptations. Did you know that in America marriages have a 69% percent of surviving. God said that when you get married it should last forever and with the same person. Marriages fail because they don't pass the test. Marriages are one test that Christians have daily. Marriage is something that takes hard work and understanding. Marriages need God's foundation and love in order to survive.

Christians are tempted daily by the devil. He knows our wicked ways and excels at exploiting our weaknesses to his advantage. Diets are a multi billion dollar seller not because people want to be healthy but because they want to look good. Jesus says that if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out because it's better to lose an eye then have your whole body go to hell. I rather be blind then constantly be bombarded with sex. Magazines, TV, movies, billboards it's all about looking good instead of feeling good. Everyday it's a new temptation and a new chance to fail the test. We get tested daily and we as Christians need to have the Word in our hearts, in our minds, and in our hands to avoid failing. I know that the road to righteousness is not always the easiest but believe me when I tell you that it has the best reward. God uses bumps in the road and turns them into blessings. When Christians are tested we as a Christan should rejoice when we pass the tests and we should encourage each other when we falter. We are TESTED DAILY because God disciplines us but we are TOUCHED DAILY because God LOVES US.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Illuminate

When Jesus came to this world He said He was the light of the world. If we are to follow Jesus our lives should reflect that light. Illuminate means brighten with light. If Jesus is to be the center point of your life...then your life should radiate bright light. You should be receiving bolts of lightning of the Holy Spirit that penetrate deep into your heart, mind, and spirit. Bolts that transform darkness into light, sin into righteousness, and despair into hope. When cockroaches are around and you turn on a light, they scatter because they are afraid of the the light. They are vulnerable because they are seen. Sin is afraid of light for that very same reason because when light shines upon sin...it is seen. A lot of people don't realize what there doing is a sin and that's why so many are lost. They don't see the light! We as Christians need to help people see the light. But we will never be able to show people the light, if we ourselves don't have the light living in us. We need to have the Light of God dwelling in us so much that we are ready to do anything for God.

What that means is we as Christians need to start being uncomfortable with ourselves and comfortable with God. The world has comfort zones they like staying in. It gives them peace and serenity. It's a little circle of happiness they build so they don't feel out of place. Some people go to Church on Sunday, read the Bible and pray occasionally. That is great but God calls us to a higher purpose. It seems like time is going by fast these days but Christians are maturing at a slow pace. What I'm trying to say is that if God calls you to preach in front of 100 people be comfortable with that. If God wants you to lead a Bible Study in your own home be comfortable with that. The point is that you will never be open to God's will until you Illuminate your life and your life will never Illuminate if you don't get rid of your comfort zone. Jesus died for us on a cross. He bled for us! I don't think He was comfortable doing that but He did it because it was God's will. Jesus allowed God's will to direct His life...His comfort zone was whatever God wanted. He was the perfect example of Illuminate. I pray God will Illuminate your life today, tomorrow, and forever.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Thanks Given To God

Tomorrow everybody will be enjoying a nice big Turkey dinner. It will be a great time with family and friends and people you care about. I always enjoy the stuffing as well as the mashed potatoes. We have to remember though it's not the turkey we celebrate it's the Blood Of The Lamb that we give thanks for. It's the sacrifice that He made on that tree so we can be cleansed and made righteous. He gave up His throne to become a man. I never wanted to give up the remote control to my wife...I can't imagine giving up a throne to be crucified. Our lives are dedicated to Jesus because of what He did for us. We need to tell everyone we know what He did for them as well. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son. It's not like God had 3 or 4 Sons where He didn't mind losing one. But He sent the only one He had...That's major.

Remember be thankful for the food your going to eat, be thankful for the time spent with people you love, be thankful for the time spent with God always, be thankful that if you don't have anything, you probably still have more than others. Like my son once told me the man always complained about his shoes till he met a man with no feet. So if you don't have a job be thankful that you have freedom. If you don't have money, be thankful that you life. If you don't have food to eat, be thankful there are places you can go to help you. But especially if you don't have Jesus, be thankful that you can always accept Him and He will welcome you with open arms always. This thanksgiving be thankful because God loves you more than you'll ever know. It's not just one day but every day that THANKS GIVEN TO GOD!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Judged!

I had an appointment to see a judge today regarding a case I had. As I sat in the courtroom I saw more and more people stand in front of the judge. They were scared and nervous at first but as the Judge handed down fines and probation they seemed to be relieved that it wasn't more serious. When it was my turn to stand in front of the Judge I was nervous because here was a man who had the power to determine a mans fate. At any given moment as the people plead guilty to there charges, he had the power to take there freedom. As my case was presented, the Judge dismissed my case. I walked out of the courtroom saying to myself I do not want to ever be standing in front of a Judge again. Then I thought about God. He is the public defender, and also Judge. God does not want to see anyone perish. He strategically places His servants in places to help you on your path to Him. To help you believe, to help you understand, but most importantly to help you when you fall. Even when you don't want God the defender in your life. He loves you so much He is still willing to help you. He wants to defend you against all evil but you have to choose Him. Not only choose Him but trust Him so He can show you the glory. Mostly every body in this world lives by seeing is believing. There will come a day where every knee shall bow because they will see Jesus. For people who believe right now...seeing is not believing. Believing is knowing that God is with you. Knowing that God will never abandon you.

God is also the Judge. As in my case God will sit before the throne and view your life. He will go over your case details and make a decsion based on what you believe. Remember your reward is for how well you followed God but your entry into Heaven is based on what you believe. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking on how good they are or how much they give will get them into Heaven. Ehhhh! Wrong God doesn't care how much you give...He doesn't look at your wallet, He Judges your heart. Ephesians says that we are saved by grace. God gives us grace as a gift...not because of your good works. Of course we being servants our function as servants is to serve. Serve God and serve others. We don't serve to get on God's good side or to receive brownie points. We serve because of the joy of Christ that lives within us. One day everyone will be Judged by God but why wait till the end of your life to start making a difference. I don't want to stand in front of God and have any doubts. I want to stand in front of God and have Him say your case has been dismissed because of your faith in Me, because of your willingness to serve the Lord, and your undying love for my Word. I want God to look me in my eye and say WELCOME HOME GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Walk with Victory!

I remember playing basketball and walking off the court sometimes we won and sometimes we lost. Every time we lost I would walk off the court with my head down wondering what I could of done to help win. I would hold my self responsible thinking if I could do more I would've changed the outcome. My coach would see me and tell me that I can't change the past so just let it go and focus on the next one. The next one would come and when we won. My attitude was totally different. My walk was different, I was proud of the team and would walk with a big smile and confidence knowing that if we played them again we would be able to win. In life a lot of people do the same thing. When hard times come people walk with there head down thinking what they could of done to change the outcome. We can't change the past, so there is no point in thinking that you could of done something different. In life there is no excuses, only solutions. When I played basketball I always made a reason to why we lost. But what I should of done is find ways to make things better. In basketball it's not how great of a player you are...it's how much confidence do you have in your ability to play the game. Same goes for us as Christians it's not whether we are great Christians or not. It's how much of Christ lives in us and our ability to have Him direct our life.

Anybody that believes is already in victory. Christ already won the game for us, so there is no need to be ashamed any longer. No need to walk with your head down. No need to stress about things that have no meaning. I know it's hard not to stress about bills and money but be thankful for what you do have. So we have bills...we also have life and the gift of air to breathe. We have no money...but we have the freedom of religion, we have the freedom to visit the park or beach and see the beauty of God. We have no jobs....but we have the ability to still help people in need. Like praying for the homeless or the sick. God will always take care of us. His promise says He will never give you more than you can bear. I remember seeing the movie the Wizard of Oz and wanting to go down that road. While Dorothy walked down the road they had hope. But my hope isn't found in Dorothy it's found in JESUS! My path isn't down a yellow brick road. My path leads to a ROAD PAVED WITH GOLD! Every body who believes has hope in the one true God so WALK WITH VICTORY!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Take His Place!

Lets say for instance that you were sound asleep and when you woke up. You were in God's presence. God looks at you and says you will have to go to Earth and suffer the world's sin. You will have to be tortured and punished in order for the world to be saved. The world will hate you and crucify you because they don't understand. Will you do that? Can you do that? Jesus suffered more than we can ever imagine and yet people don't fully comprehend what He did for us. He gave us a second chance to live. He is the Bridge into Heaven. Jesus main purpose was to bring sinful people to a Holy God. People hated Him because He was trying to bring light to a darkened world. People still hate Him today because He is still trying to bring light to this darkened world. When I was growing up and and saw Christians and they would preach to me. I would see them act a certain way and be a certain way. They would tell me they don't drink or go to clubs. They don't listen to certain music and they would say Jesus can set you free. So I thought about it and said you can't really do what you want...doesn't sound like freedom it actually sounds like your a slave to your religion. I never understood it till now. It's not that I'm a slave to Christianity, it's that I freely give up being part of this world to be a part of something greater.

Jesus said in order to follow me, you have to deny yourself daily and take up your cross. Our bodies are evil from head to toe. Our hands, our eyes, and our heads are evil. While we live in this world our bodies want us to give into temptation daily. The devil uses temptations for the flesh to take you from the light into darkness. We have to let our bodies die to get out of darkness...That's why it's call born again. To Deny yourself is to deny your flesh. Deny the desires of the flesh. Follow your heart, love with your heart. Guard your mind and let your body be crucified daily. Righteousness is the only way into God's heart. Though, the question still remains Can you Take His Place? We were predestined to Take His Place! God wants us to spread the Gospel and do what Jesus did. To bring a sinful man to a Holy God. I don't look at it though as our jobs as Christians. I look at it as a privilege and an honor to Take His place and tell everyone I know about the Gospel.

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos

Routine

Every morning I go through the same Routine. I pray, sit down at my desk, and write my blog. A Routine is defined as a habitual procedure. More simply put an habit of some sort. Every body has them and every body goes through Routines. If you eat dinner at a certain time or go to the gym at a certain time. Then those are Routines. I pick up the kids daily at the same time that is considered a Routine. What I'm trying to get at is that our lives are filled with Routines. Usually Routines are always the same. Really nothing changes but our encounters. Our encounter with what food we are having for dinner, our encounter with the closet choosing our clothes for that day, but especially our encounter with people and God. You see I don't care if I go to the same job, doing the same thing for the rest of my life, I don't care if i wear the same clothes till I die or if I eat the same food over and over again. But, what I do care about and what every body should care about is your encounters with people and God. First with people, I may run into the same people every day at work or somewhere else but my Routine shouldn't be the same. I shouldn't just say good morning and that's it. Every time I run into people is an opportunity to change somebodies life. To offer something they might not have. Joy and Happiness. To be a part of the greatest family on Earth. God's family. God desires us to get along that's why Jesus said love God and your neighbor. If He didn't want us to be in Unity he would've just said Love God. But God gave His Son to the world that whoever believe in Him shall not perish. I ask everyone let not your Routine with people be the same. Maybe the person your trying to save is not coming around because your doing it the same way always. Say something different, try something different, give a different Bible verse. Most important let them know they are loved in different ways.

Our Routine with God has to be different daily. I talk to God every chance I get. I love talking to Him and know that He is there for me. But I can't get up and pray every day and just say hey God thanks for everything...Amen. The only way God becomes real is if you treat Him as real. When God created Adam and Eve...The Bible says that He walked with them. That's what God wants with each and every one of us to walk with us. We are His greatest joy and love. Over and over again the Bible shows His great love for us. I don't understand how people can just ignore Him or treat Him like a lucky rabbits foot. So when things are going wrong you bring Him out and hope He fixes everything. That's not what God is! God is Lord and King. He deserves everything from us and nothing less. We must humble ourselves before Him. Remember you stand tallest on your knees!! Let every chance with get to talk to God be different. Every day we may go through the same Routines but let our encounters be different. Let our encounters with people always be different. Let us not fall into the Routine of just saying hi and going on about our day. That's not what God intended us to be like. Let our Routine with God be different and let God know how much you love Him. Once your encounters change, your Routines will soon turn into Rewards!!

Yesus Gitano,

Carlos